Tom Ford Lips & Boys – Beauty Look Book Picks

December 24, 2014

Tom Ford launched 50 shades of clutch-sized lipstick last month with the Lips and Boys collection as an online exclusive for a very short period of time. Ordering the colors I wanted was a bit tricky for me since many of the colors sold out on different sites almost instantly. They are making a comeback though, while supplies last, online now at Nordstrom, Saks and Bloomingdales. They are expected to launch again on December 26th at select Tom Ford counters and boutiques, also online at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman. I have my neutral picks to share with you along with swatches and thoughts.

The Tom Ford Lips & Boys are clutch-sized lipsticks priced at $32 each for 0.07 oz/2 g. They are in between the sizes of the full sized Lip Colors and baby gift with purchase Lip Colors. For size reference here are all three options lined up side by side.

Full Size is .1 oz / 3 g priced at $50 each

Lips & Boys are 0.07 oz / 2 g priced at $32 each

Baby Gift with Purchase is 0.03 oz / 1 g

After playing with the shades for several weeks I can say that my overall impressions are positive. I think the lip colors are the strong point of Tom Ford’s beauty line and have been impressed with pigment, coverage and feel ever since the first launch back in 2011. The Lips & Boys have two different finishes. There are shimmery shades and then there are cream shades. Some of the creams have a tiny bit of shimmer in the tube but on the lips they apply more like a true cream. Pigments range from sheer to medium to full depending on color. Closeups and arm swatches below:

Photographing 15 lipsticks on one arm was a bit tricky because of my arm curve and also because many of the colors have this natural glossy sheen. I have several shots to try and capture the colors and show you the difference between the nudes:

Close ups and lip swatches with descriptions of each shade:

Addison is a creamy full coverage medium neutral pink, the coverage is perfection, Addison is reported to be a repromote of Pink Dusk – I find Addison about a 1/2 shade darker than Pink Dusk

Alexander is a full coverage bright pink with cool tones, on my lips it pulls very blue, this one emphasizes dry patches and lip lines

Beau is a full coverage creamy nude, it’s almost flesh-tone on me, it’s reported to be a dupe of Blush Nude, in the tubes Beau is slightly more pinkish, Blush Nude is a tiny bit lighter and more beige

Cary is a full coverage deep mauve pink, it pulls brighter on my lips

Flynn is a baby pink with medium coverage

Henry is full coverage shimmering brown, on my lip/complexion it pulls very orange

Ian is a sheer shimmery light pink nude

Orlando is a sheer frosted mauve nude tan

Patrick is a bright medium coverage coral pink, texture was patchy on this one

Rory is sheer shimmering pale gold, it goes on patchy if your lips aren’t well prepped

William is a medium coverage shimmering warm nude peachy pink, this is reported to be a repromote of Pink Dune, I don’t find them similar, Pink Dune is more beige and glossy, William is a lot warmer almost peachy gold by comparison

Julian is a full coverage medium cool pink

Luca is a medium to full coverage coral with contrasted pale champagne frost mixed in

Olivier is a medium coverage cool pale pink

Swatching 15 lipsticks was extremely harsh on my lips with all the wiping and re-applying so some of the swatch photos may look a bit dry. I found that the shimmery shades have a high level of pale frost in them which ended up emphasizing lip lines with a camera flash or super dry lips. I think prepping the lips and making sure they are hydrated is key – but I do think extra moisture is needed right now with the dry winter weather. The creams performed the best for me with the exception of Patrick which I found applied patchy and uneven (it took extra work). Still with the creams you need a well hydrated or smooth lip because the pigment is rich and creamy with full coverage.

My favorite shades include William, Peter, Addison, Ian, Orlando and Luca. I personally don’t like Alexander, Julian & Olivier because cool-toned pinks just don’t work well with my skin although they are very pretty pinks. I had application issues with Rory and Patrick (at least straight from the tube). Henry for some reason turns very orange on me.

Overall my thoughts are thumbs up on most of the colors. The clutch size is just so adorable – I can never resist a mini. The price point is still a bit steep but I have an easier time justifying $32 vs $50 on a lipstick (even if the size is small).

If you’re not able to see these in person before purchasing, I highly recommend researching swatches and reviews online. I won’t have time to do comparison swatches but there are many resources that have helpful reviews you can find on other blogs. The Tom Ford Beauty discussion thread on Specktra.net is extremely helpful, many have chimed in on their thoughts, added swatches, photos and have additional shopping tips.

If any of these interest you at all I recommend you order sooner than later because I think it’s a good assumption that these will sell out very quickly. You can find the Tom Ford Lips & Boys online now at Nordstrom, Saks and Bloomingdales. Available for pre-order at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Expected to launch at Tom Ford counters, boutiques and online this week on December 26th.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. I will be taking a few days off from the blog to enjoy time with loved ones. Merry Christmas from me to you!

Happy holidays, Sabrina, and thank you for all the fabulous blogging you do all year. You're my go-to. I rely on your opinions (because they're accurate) and your swatches (because they're the best on the web).

I love how the colors look together, it's so beautiful! I love them all!))

Kristina

I bought Patrick and William and love them both. I actually love the size of these lipsticks better than the original since I love variety and rarely use one totally up. This is the best post I've seen so far on these! Thanks!

Patrick, John, Michael, and Giacomo are my guys :-). I selected some brighter shades because my winter pallor can always use a pop of pretty color. Because my lips are chronically dry, I always slather them with a bit of extra moisturizer while I do my makeup. Then, I apply Baume de Rose before the lipstick. That seems to be a good combination and I find the balm doesn't interfere with the look or longevity of the lipstick. Unfortunately, over the years, my lips have lost volume and become drier and so a good occlusive, non-slippery balm is a must for me before every application. These colors are so vibrant and beautiful, though, that they're worth a bit of extra care. As for the "clutch size", I love it! Like so many women who love trying new textures, finishes, and colors, I never use a product in its entirety and always lament tossing out half of a product simply because I've moved on to something else.

Great post & collection!I personally prefer the full sized TF lipsticks (weighty & luxurious) however couldn't resist grabbing some of these boys 🙂 I got hold of Olivier,Peter,Richard & James. Love all the colours! I'm abit confused with your comments on the repromotes being dissimilar to the originals as Richard & James are repromotes of Negligee & Twist of Fate respectively & are exactly the same….that was the point of the repromotes, to introduce people to some of the best selling lipstick colours &/or limited edition colours for those who hadn't ventured into TF's regular collection so the mini repromotes should be identical?!

Hi Nishi, I didn't compare all the colors with the listed repromotes. I can only speak for the ones I compared. This instagram post shows the difference between Pink Dune and William, they were supposed to be the same but are not.

Amazing post as always with your incredibly useful swatches and lip swatches!! You never fail to provide in depth reviews as I mentioned! I've got Richard, Flynn and Patrick and I may pick up another three…naughty me!! They all look great on you! xx

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